Subjugation of the Germans - Relief from honorary monument to Marcus Aurelius, detail
The relief depicts Marcus Aurelius in an attitude very similar to that which can be seen in the equestrian statue in the centre of the square: on horseback, in military garb, with his right arm outstretched, he exercises his clemency towards the kneeling barbarian prisoners. It probably derives from a triumphal arch dedicated to Marcus Aurelius on the occasion of his victories over the Sarmatians and Germans in 176 A.D.; in the Capitol since 1515, it comes from the Church of Saints Luke and Martina in the Roman Forum.
